Applicants in certain occupations designated as performing or supporting “essential services” in Canada can receive priority processing on their work permit application.
This expedited processing covers employer-specific work permits, including but not limited to:
- Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)-based work permits;
- Francophone Mobility Work Permits; and
- International Experience Canada (IEC) work permits.
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This article will cover which occupations are currently receiving priority work permit processing, how eligible workers can benefit in practice, and how these occupations translate to category-based selection eligible under Express Entry.
Occupations eligible for priority work permit processing
These essential occupations are covered below, with their corresponding National Occupation Classification (NOC) code.
They are concentrated in certain sectors and correspond to persistent labour market gaps in Canada, where hiring has historically lagged.
Healthcare occupations
| Occupation title | NOC code |
|---|---|
| Nursing coordinators and supervisors | 31300 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 |
| Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 |
| Specialists in surgery | 31101 |
| Police investigators and other investigative occupations | 41310 |
| General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 |
| Nurse practitioners | 31302 |
| Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals | 31303 |
| Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | 32103 |
| Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating | 31209 |
| Pharmacists | 31120 |
| Medical laboratory technologists | 32120 |
| Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 |
| Medical radiation technologists | 32121 |
| Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists | 32123 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 32101 |
| Paramedical occupations | 32102 |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 |
Agriculture and agri-food occupations
| Occupation title | NOC code |
|---|---|
| Butchers – Retail and wholesale | 63201 |
| Meat cutters and fishmongers – Retail and wholesale | 65202 |
| Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors | 82030 |
| Livestock labourers | 85100 |
| Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators | 84120 |
| Harvesting labourers | 85101 |
| Nursery and greenhouse labourers | 85103 |
| Fish and seafood plant workers | 94142 |
| Labourers in food and beverage processing | 95106 |
| Labourers in fish and seafood processing | 95107 |
| Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers | 94141 |
How can applicants in these occupations receive priority processing?
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC’s) occupation-based priority processing is not a separate application stream you apply for—it’s triggered by how you complete your work permit application.
To be considered, you must be applying for an employer-specific work permit in an eligible occupation (based on IRCC’s priority NOC lists).
In practice, applicants should:
- Use the exact NOC code tied to the job offer (the NOC your employer used in the Employer Portal offer of employment or on the LMIA, if applicable).
- Enter only that NOC code in the work permit form’s “Job title” field under Details of intended work in Canada ( “Box 4” on the PDF form).
- Ensure consistency across documents (job offer/LMIA, role duties, and the NOC code) so the file can be routed correctly.
Because this process relies on a specific job and a specific NOC linked to an employer, it generally does not apply to open work permits (like the post-graduation work permit or International Experience Canada Working Holiday permit), which aren’t tied to a particular employer or position.
Do workers in these occupations have an easier time getting Canadian permanent residence?
Workers in these occupations who qualify for Express Entry may have an easier time receiving an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR).
Some occupations included in the expedited work permit processing lists are also among the occupations listed in Express Entry’s occupational categories.
Candidates with valid Express Entry profiles who gain at least six months of work in these occupations (either in Canada or abroad) can typically receive an ITA for PR through the system with lower Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores than required for candidates who do not qualify for one of these categories.
Among the healthcare occupations listed for priority work permit processing, all are included with the healthcare Express Entry category, except for Police investigators and other investigative occupations (41310).
Among the Agriculture and agri-food occupations that are listed for priority work permit processing, only one is included within the corresponding Express Entry category—Butchers—Retail and wholesale (63201).
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